St Andrew’s Church Magazine for the Parish of Soham
30p
June 2016
Services at the Parish Church
1st Sunday 10.00 am Morning Prayer Sundays 8:00 am Holy Communion (BCP) 10.00 am Sung Eucharist (CW) Thursdays 10.00 am Eucharist (BCP) 3rd Sunday 10.00 am Family Service
A Cloud of Witnesses
May 8th Julian of Norwich In 1373 on this day a woman of Norwich, whose name is unrecorded, suffering from a terminal illness experienced sixteen visions, revealing aspects of the love of God. After her recovery she spent the next twenty years thinking about their meaning and recorded her conclusions in the first book written in English by a woman - The Revelations of Divine Love. She became an anchoress attached to St Julian’s Church in Norwich. It is from this church that she takes her name. Julian is not a mere ‘descriptive visionary’, she is fully committed to God and others. Her ‘voice’ is inspiring, joyful and optimistic and she searches life’s ultimate questions. Her book is, for all who read it, to be taken as a personal revelation of the love of God. From being unknown, Julian is now acclaimed as a voice for this generation. She died, it is thought, in the year 1417. May 14th
St Matthias After the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot the apostles sought a replacement by casting lots from amongst the disciples - Acts 1, 15-23. It was conditional that the person chosen had to have been with Jesus during his earthly Ministry and have witnessed the Resurrection. So after prayer they cast lots between Matthias and another disciple. Being chosen by lot rather than by a vote indicated election by God rather than by men.
24th May John & Charles Wesley They were the sons of an Anglican clergyman and a puritan mother. John was ordained after a religious experience on this day in 1738. He began an itinerant ministry, recognising no parish boundaries, which after his death, resulted in the development of the worldwide Methodist Church. John’s open air preaching, liturgical revision, organisation of local societies and training of preachers formed a basis for Christian growth and mission in England. Charles travelled the country with his brother building up early Methodist Societies, but Charles never intended that early Methodists should leave the Anglican church. He wrote thousands of hymns, a resource of lyrical piety from which generations of Christians have discovered the power of God’s love. From birth to death Charles’ hymns are a celebration of God’s grace in the lives of human beings. We sing of the events of our Salvation by God and experience themes of eucharistic worship. Charles left us a wonderful legacy with which to praise God. John died in 1791 and Charles in 1788. [continued on the next page
At our May meeting, Mrs. Woollard, wife of councillor Woollard, made use of Public Comment Time to express her concern about the continuing litter in Church Ally. This is not the first time this problem has raised at council meetings. She told us about two occasions on Sunday mornings she herself has gathered up the litter that has accumulated there and also brought to the meeting evidence of her findings. The college has been notified to tell the young people to refrain from litter dropping, but it is thought that most of it comes from an older generation. Others in the meeting acknowledged the problem and it is a bad reflection on our town, caused by a small number of unsociable members of the public. Takeaway cartons and drinks cans make up most of this litter and although there are several rubbish bins available, they are not fully used. Re-Election of Office: We are at the half way mark of this council and it is custom to re-elect the current chairman and vice-chair for a further two years if the council so wish. This was what we did. It was also a chance for those on various committees and outside bodies to change. Pavilion Refurbishment: There is no definite time scale for the work to begin, but if tenders are received by the end of May they will be discussed by the full council on 13th June. If all goes well it may be possible to start work sometime in July. But we need to see how each stage progresses before we can declare a definite start time. Councillor Ginn [continued from the previous page June 9th Columba of Iona Columba was born in Ireland around the year 521. He trained as a monk founding several monasteries, including Kells, before he left Ireland with twelve companions to settle on the West coast of Scotland at Iona. Columba was reputed to be an austere man who mellowed with age! His concern was for the building up of the monastery and its life so that his monks could be missionaries in a heathen land. He built churches and converted Kings. Iona became a starting point for the expansion of Christianity in Scotland. Towards the end of his life Columba’s health failed and he spent his time transcribing Gospel books to be taken and used in mission. He died on this day in 597 - the year in which St Augustine landed on the Kent coast, sent by Pope Gregory the Great to re-evangelise the English church. June 22nd St Alban St Alban was the first British martyr. He was a Roman soldier at Verulamium (now St Albans, Hertfordshire) who sheltered in his house a Christian priest fleeing from persecution. Alban was much influenced by the priest’s devotion to prayer and asked for instruction about the Christian life. He became a Christian and when the priest’s hiding place was discovered, Alban dressed himself as the priest and was arrested instead. Though tortured Alban refused to renounce his faith and was beheaded on this day, probably in 250. His shrine in the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban stands to this day as a place of Pilgrimage. Judith Scott 2
Two Recipes which are both Vegan and Gluten Free Rhubarb and Ginger Preserve
Ingredients 3 lb Rhubarb 3 lb Fair Trade Brown Sugar 1½ oz Root Ginger, peeled and sliced 5 oz Crystallised Ginger Method Wash the rhubarb and cut it into small slices. Put it in a large basin and layer with the sugar sprinkled over each layer. Leave overnight in the fridge, no need to cover. The next day, put the contents of the basin into a large pan together with the root ginger which should be tied in muslin and squashed slightly. I use a muslin bag/ strainer for jams which can easily be tied in a knot and then washed and re-used. Bring to the boil, and boil hard for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the crystallised ginger into small pieces. Add the crystallised ginger and boil for a further 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb is transparent. Test the preserve on a cold plate for jelling. As soon as it sets, pot immediately into sterilised jars and cover. (Should fill about 5 to 6 jars depending on the size of the jar). Label. I have tried this recipe twice this year, and both batches have turned out really deliciously. The preserve goes well with scones or with peanut butter on toast. (Based on a recipe from good Housekeeping’s Cookery Book.) The following recipe is taken from one of those free cookery books which you used to get when you bought an oven. Again, I have tried this recipe several times and it always turns out to be very tasty. It is ideal if your tomatoes fail to ripen due to a lack of sunshine later on in the Summer. Green Tomato Chutney
Ingredients 2 lb Green Tomatoes, roughly chopped 1lb Onions, chopped 1lb Fair Trade Raisins 8oz Preserved Ginger, chopped
4 bananas, peeled and sliced 1 ½ lb Fair Trade Brown Sugar 2 oz salt 2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper 2 ½ pints of Cyder Vinegar
Method Put the tomatoes, onions, raisins, ginger and bananas in a large pan with a lid and cook slowly until tender. Keep checking and stirring the chutney as it cooks. Add the spices, sugar and vinegar and simmer slowly in the open pan until a thick consistency is reached. Pot into sterilised jars, seal and label. Jo Sturgeon (Taken from Tricity Cookery Book)
PA R I S H REGISTERS Wedding
29th April
Philip John Seal & Sarah Janet Wood
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P L AT F O R M
Colin Watkins, the Minister of Soham Methodist Church
Never Ordinary The church year is punctuated by festivals and seasons. We begin in Advent, followed by Christmas and this year we went quite quickly into Lent and then an early Easter. We have now celebrated the Ascension, Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. Having come through all that activity and celebrated those festivals we enter what is called in some church calendars ‘Ordinary Time’. Churches who use liturgical colours go back to green for the months between now and next Advent, services follow a normal pattern and we are uninterrupted by special celebrations. All of this raises a question for me, should our worship ever be simply ordinary? If our worship is to be authentic it should be an expression of the worth we put on God. The word worship derives from the old English for worth and so worship can be defined as the worth we place on whatever we are venerating. What worth do we put on God? The God we worship is the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient creator of all things seen and unseen, the Alpha and Omega, fount of all knowledge and ground of our being; how can our worship of God ever be ordinary? This is an extraordinary God and so should our worship be. I think we often get worship wrong and we would do well to listen to the language we use about worship to correct our mistakes. We come to worship, to show the worth, that value we place on the one we worship. We also say we come to a service. Have you stopped to think why it is called a service? As we worship, through what we do, the words we use, the prayers we offer, the hymns and songs we sing, we are serving God, it is a service to Him and for Him. If these things are true then true worship is from us to God. Why then do we so often hear people say, “I didn’t get anything from that service”, or “That worship did nothing for me”, as is if it were about them and for them and not for God? Worship it is not about us, it is about God, we come not to get but to give, not to receive but to offer, not to be blessed but to bless the one who is greater than all. We should come to worship ready to give, ready to show God how great He is, how much we love Him and how important he is to us. We should come to worship expecting to encounter God. We can of course, encounter God anywhere, at any time, but in worship with other Christians praising together we meet with God in a special and intentional way. It is an encounter that can transform us, strengthen us, renew us and equip us to live out our faith in the world. If worship is going to do all of these things then worship must never be ordinary, never be run of the mill, it must always be inspiring, uplifting, it must always be extraordinary. We may be in Ordinary Time, but may our worship always be anything but ordinary.
Colin Watkins
ST ANDREW’S FETE Saturday, 11th June - 10.00 am to 12 noon
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R.I.P.
It is with great sadness that we record the death of the Revd Michael Shears. Michael died at home surrounded by his family after a long illness. He will be remembered with affection by the many people both in the church and in the wider community whose lives he touched. The life and worship of St Andrew’s still bear the imprint of his quiet leadership.
33Soham Lodge Fete - Saturday 25th June 2.30-4.00. We will have a number of stalls including Tombolas, raffle, Children’s stall, face-painting, home made cakes etc.. Also music by the Rocking Ukuleles. 33Soham Museum coffee morning on Saturday 4th June at Soham Library from 10am to 12 noon. Do come along and share your items of local historical interest or just come and enjoy a chat and a coffee. Everyone welcome. 33200+Club winners for May - £5 Carole Reeve; £10 Jacqueline Whipp 33Items for the July edition of LodeStar should be submitted by Saturday, 25th June. E-mails should be sent to
[email protected] or printed copy left at 22 Sand Street, Soham CB7 5AA.
Soham Ecology Group Some time ago I wrote in LodeStar about the issues of climate change and the problems that this will bring to us and to the whole world in the not so distant future. I tried to outline some of the things it would be possible to do, at least to help the situation and have tried to think carefully about my own use of the world’s resources. As part of that thinking I attended a conference run by Green Christian and I have become a member of an ecology group in Soham. This was originally run by email by John Davies but has now met for the first time in Millbrook house earlier in May. The meeting discussed what Soham Ecology Group should look like, what its main aims would be and how we wanted to move forward. We discussed the methods used by Green Christian which in a nutshell are living simply, praying daily, taking action where possible and supporting one another in what we are trying to achieve. We also looked at some books on climate change and the politics and theology of the subject and discussed Eco Church and whether we at St Andrews or any of the other churches in Soham could take part in this. We also discussed the flower meadow which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which is situated next to the Lode on the opposite side of the bypass to the town and discussed whether we as a group could play any part in its upkeep and protection. All in all we made a good beginning, but now we want to go further and to do this we need more members. If you are interested in helping us protect and conserve our little bit of the planet and want to help to improve the environment then please consider coming to our next meeting which will be held on Saturday 18th June at 10 am in Millbrook House. I do hope you can join us and will look forward to meeting you there Linda Logan 5
Just a few words Dear friends, I had a ‘first’ this week – I saw a great spotted woodpecker! I’ve heard it frequently, but they are good at hiding so the wait to see it has been a long one. I’m quite new to bird-watching but no matter how much time I spend I never cease to marvel at their diversity – in sound, appearance and behaviour. I particularly love the shades of green on the greenfinch, the long-tailed tit looking like a cute bundle of fluff, and the hilarious behaviour of the baby starlings fighting for food in my garden! In my garden, too, I am constantly amazed as I watch things grow – in my first ever attempt at growing onions they are now all peeping above the surface of the soil, my marrow and squash seeds are sprouting and my new cherry tree has blossomed; it is a constant source of excitement! I’m enjoying all of this so much that this June I am participating in ‘30 Days Wild’, organised by The Wildlife Trusts. Each day throughout June people complete a different act designed to help reconnect with nature – things like identifying a wild flower, feeding birds, picking up litter, feeling the grass between your toes, creating a work of art using leaves, pine cones, twigs... for more information see http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/. We live in such a beautiful creation which God has asked us to care for. In the first creation story in the Bible, after each act of creation we are told that God looked at what He had made and ‘saw that it was good’. Humans are given dominion over this good creation: to be responsible for it, rule it and care for it on God’s behalf. The word we often use for this is ‘stewardship’: to be a steward is to care for something on behalf of someone else, so we are tasked with being stewards of creation, caring for it for God, and for future generations. In the church in which I grew up there was a poster which said ‘If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?’. While there feels to be a scary undertone to this caption, it highlights the point that being Christian should make a difference to the way we live. Perhaps a better caption is the one I have seen more recently: ‘Be brave, and let what you know about Jesus make a difference’. When we live in relationship with God it has to make a difference to the whole of our lives, including the ways in which we care for creation. This month presents us with all sorts of opportunities to let our faith make a difference to the way we view creation. If the ‘30 Days Wild’ is not for you, how about doing something to mark one of the other events taking place: 4 June is Butterfly Education and Awareness Day; 5 June is World Environment Day; 8 June is World Oceans Day; 11-19 June 9 is Bike Week; 13-19 June is Recycle Awareness Week and also British Flowers Week; 17 June is World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought; and 20-26 June is National Insect Week. Each of these events has a website with ideas for actions to take. Alternatively you could commit to something longer-term; for example: shopping locally, reducing your car use, installing a water butt, giving up – or limiting – your meat intake, or switching to a ‘green’ electricity provider. We live in a beautiful world. Let’s take seriously our task to care for this world. Ruth Dennigan, Licensed Lay Minister, Soham and Wicken Book Review: Holy Habits by Andrew Roberts (Malcolm Down Publishing 2016) If we are going to take seriously the idea that relationship with God makes a difference to the whole of life, then this book provides assistance. It outlines ten habits to develop in order to live out this relationship more fully, individually and as a church. It also includes suggestions for reflection and action, providing practical ways to make a difference as the people of God living in the world. It is available to buy from Soham Books. 6
